style="font-size:15px;"> Faraday. Pleased? (With mock sentiment) I hope I show a father's feelings when his eldest daughter proposes to-er-desert the home-nest. (Murmurs up in card room. Reverting to his former attitude of enthusiasm) And who is he? What's the d-e-a-r fellow's name? Eh, Celia?
(Evelyn comes down extreme left. Raleigh, Grice and Steele up L.C. Aunt Ida comes back of chair, R. of table L. Phyllis kneels on sofa, facing Celia. Tarver comes and sits in chair below fender.)
Madge. (Coming down R.C.) Yes, Celia, tell us all about him. Who is he? (Sits L. of table R.)
Celia. (Standing by chair R. of table L. Slowly) Well-he is in the army.
Raleigh. (Quickly to Steele) A soldier, eh?
Evelyn. What's his rank?
Celia. He's a cap-a colonel-dear-a colonel.
(Faraday center, Grice up L.C., Raleigh and Steele up L.C. Evelyn L. of table L.)
Faraday. Colonel? What's his name?
Celia. (Pause) Smith.
(They all show pained surprise.)
Faraday. Smith?
Celia. Yes, John Smith.
Faraday. Smith-huh- (Genially) Well, of course the dear fellow isn't to be held responsible for that. Eh, Admiral? (Joins Aunt Ida and Grice up C.)
Grice. (To Faraday. Coming down R.C.) Miss Faraday engaged? You might knock me down with a feather. My dear, I congratulate yo-him, my dear, him.
Celia. (Smiling and shaking hands with Grice) Thank you, Admiral, thank you.
Raleigh. (Up L.C. to Steele) Engaged!
Steele. By George! (They contemplate Celia from a new point of view.)
Faraday. (Up R.C. with Aunt Ida. Smiling broadly and rubbing his hands together) Good-old-John-Smith!
Evelyn. (Patronizingly) Well, Father, he may be one of the good Smiths, you know.
Madge. (From chair R.) If Celia would only stop being such a clam, and tell us.
Celia. But, Madge dear, I have told you.
Faraday. (Comes down stage to R. of Celia) Well, Celia, I suppose he will be coming to see us soon?
Celia. Oh, yes-father-after the war. (Leaning back on chair R. of table L.)
Phyllis. (Quickly) The war?
(All show surprise and interest.)
Celia. Yes, you see he sailed this morning on board a troop ship, for Somaliland. It was just within an hour of his leaving that he-spoke to me.
Faraday. But during that hour he might have told you something about himself.
Phyllis. Oh, Father! How absurd! On occasions of that kind, an hour passes very quickly, (Turns to Tarver and smiles.)
(All laugh.)
Faraday. Well, I remember that when I proposed to your mother, I told her my life history three times over in the first hour. (Goes up stage.)
Evelyn. (Deprecatingly) Oh, Father! (To Celia) What's his regiment?
Celia. Oh, it is a very good one, Evelyn dear. It's one of the West African ones, you know. It has green thing-a-majigs all down the front.
(Evelyn goes up L. and crosses R.)
Tarver. It sounds like a garden party.
Madge. Well, but-Celia- (Rises, comes to Celia and offers hand and passes Celia in front of her to chair L. of table R.)
Phyllis. Oh, yes, do tell us.
Celia. (Sitting L. of table R. Eagerly, to get rid of the questions) But there is very little to tell.
(Raleigh and Steele drop down R.C. Evelyn joins them. Aunt Ida is back of Celia. Grice is C. Madge L. of Celia. Faraday drops down behind Celia's chair to R. of Aunt Ida. They are new all grouped about Celia's chair, except Tarver, who is in chair below fender. They all show smiling interest.)
Celia. Well, you see, we had been together in the house all the week-and-er-this morning I was in the garden-alone-and-and he joined me. (Pause.) And-er-it was then. (Covers her-face in mock confusion.)
(All laugh sympathetically.)
Phyllis. (From sofa) What did he say?
Celia. (Looks at Tarver and Phyllis and waving toward Tarver) Oh, you know.
(All laugh.)
Phyllis. And-are you happy?
Celia. (Looking at group bending over her) Well, I really believe that this change will make a very great difference in my life.
Faraday. (Patting Celia on shoulder) Well, I hope so, my dear child, I hope so. Now, let's go back and finish our rubber.
(There is a general bright buzz of conversation, such as "By jove!" "I'll bet it does," "Why, yes, Celia," "Well, I should think it would," "Indeed it will," etc. Faraday goes up to card room with Evelyn, Grice and Aunt Ida. They resume their bridge game in former positions. Madge catches Tarver's eye and they join each other up R., evidently talking about Celia's engagement. Phyllis stops on sofa, talking across to Celia, as Celia glances over the remaining envelopes and slips them into the large blue envelope, in view of audience.)
Raleigh. (To Steele, L.C.) It's obvious that Smith didn't find it difficult.
Steele. (Who is R. of Raleigh. Looking thoughtfully at Celia) No, he didn't. Perhaps, we have all been mistaken. You know she isn't so bad looking-if you look long enough. (Steele starts to cross to Celia. Raleigh stops him and goes over himself. Steele comes back of chair L.)
Raleigh. Miss Faraday, I haven't congratulated you yet. I hope you won't go off to Southampton soon again. We all missed you dreadfully when you were away.
(Steele shows impatience at Raleigh's talking to Celia.)
Celia. I'm sure you did. My coming back as I've done seems to have made a very great difference.
Raleigh. Oh, great. Believe me, great. Well, you've every good wish of mine. (Gushingly extending his hand, which Celia takes amusedly.)
Celia. (Warmly) I am sure I have, Mr. Raleigh.
Faraday.
